Travco 72-no oil pressure

[Don Palmer]

Greetings Old RVers!

I have picked up a Travco 72 in reasonably good condition.  I don't have a lot to do inside, and the exterior looks good.  The engine fires right up, and sounds great.  However, I am getting little or no oil pressure.  I have replaced the oil pump, the sensor, had the cap milled so it is true, and other general maintenance, but still no oil reaches the rocker arms.

If any of you world travelers have dealt with this issue, I am all ears-I don't know what to do next.  I would like to go on a trip this summer.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Don

[Sam Green]

Hi Don, I had a similar problem many years ago and it turned out to be the pick-up screen in the oil pan was clogged with sludge.  The oil pump just could not pull enough oil through it to service the top of the engine.  also you might want to check the rocker arm shafts for the same sludge.  Hope this helps you and hope that you can take your trip.

 

Sam

 

[Don Palmer]

Hi Sam.

Thank you for your reply.  The screen is perfectly clean.  I will take a look at the shafts of the rocker arms-I have not checked those for sludge.  Do I have to pull them off to do this?  There is no sludge in the engine--it is clean.   There is no oil pressure at the sensor, so oil is not even getting that far.  The sensor has been replaced, and the oil gauge works.   There is no oil getting to the oil sensor port and there is no oil getting to the top end of the engine.  I did drive it home when I bought it-about 40 miles, so there must be some oil circulating, but not enough to risk taking it out.  I am stumped, and cannot find a mechanic familiar with the 413 engine.   Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Don

[Sam Green]

I am no mechanic however, I have worked in the automotive parts business for a few years which was many years ago.  I will throw out a couple of more suggestions but they are shots in the dark. I am sure you will need to remove the rocker shaft as the oil should be coming up through the block and into the shaft supports and into the rocker shaft.  Try putting an air nozzle into the holes and blowing any obstruction out.  Do that to the shaft also.  Another thing if you only replaced the oil pump and not the drive rod, perhaps it is worn and spinning more than pumping.  If it is a gear driven pump, you could possibly have a sheared pin or set screw (whatever holds the gear in place).  You may have already looked at these things, I am like you, stumped.  The oil flows from the block through holes and then through the head to the rocker shaft, I'm thinking there must be an obstruction in there somewhere.  Good luck Don.

[Richard W. Cobbs]

Sam, you beat me to it! Remove the screen where it is attached to the pipe, find a way to attach air pressure and get out of the way.  This should track down the problem

RWC

[Don Palmer]

Thanks, Sam.  I know what I will e up to this weekend!

Don

[donnie erdmann]

Hi Don, typicaly the oil pump will send oil to the filter first, from there it flows to the main bearings then the cam bearings and finally to the rockers that is on every engine I have ever delt with. so first off is the oil filter full of oil, does it have metal in the oil? next is hook up a mechanical gauge to the oil sensor hole in the block the pressure at low idle should be around 20 psi if the pump is working. If all of that seems ok than the next thing to do is remove the oil pan and inspect the main bearing caps if one looks blued or like there is visible metal in the pan than you have most likely spun a bearing causing the restriction. in that case the engine should be removed and rebuilt.

[redwing]

you may have a plugged line or channel, i suggest using an internal engine cleaner to break up sludge, just rememebr this will plug the filter up s you may want to buy a few to change out the plugged up one.  do a little read up on the subjct before trying t by using the link below.  redwing

 

http://www.auto-tune-up-and-repair-options.com/sludge-removal.html